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Help[Facts] You learn the rules and listen to native speakers.
in reply to a message by Kaitlyn-The Writer
Here are some rules to follow, but note that proper names do not always follow the general rules of pronunciation. I'm not an expert and have found that it's best to confirm with a native speaker.
Consonants and Consonant Combinations
bh - “v” ( or occasionally as a “w”)
c - always a hard “c” as in “came”
ch - always a hard, guttural “k” as in “Bach”
dd - “th”
dh - usually silent
fh - usually silent
g - always a hard “g” as in “game”
gh - usually silent
mh - “v” ( or occasionally as a “w”)
s - “sh”
Vowels and Vowel Combinations
a – “ah” (like the short “o” in “pot”)
á - “aw”
ae - “ I ” (exception in proper names where “ae” is usually pronounced “ay”)
ai - “ I ” (exception in proper names where “ai” is usually pronounced “ay”)
aoi - “ee”
au - “ow”
e - usually an “eh” (like the short “e” in “met”) (However,
a final “e” is almost always sounded as a long “ee” in names and other words (Slaine: “slay-nee”; exceptions: Shane: “Shayn” and Maeve: “Mave”)
é - pronounced “ay”
i - pronounced as “ee” or “ih”, never pronounced as “eye” unless the pronoun “I”
io - “ih”
o - usually pronounced like the short “u” in “put”
ó - pronounced as a long “o” (like “total”) or “oo” (like “food”)
u - normal pronunciation
ứ - pronounced as a long “o” (like “total”) or “oo” (like “food”)
Reference Websites:
Baby Names of Ireland http://www.babynamesofireland.com/pages/naming-traditions.html --- Irish naming traditions and alphabetical lists of popular girls and boys names with pronunciation and description,and some connections to legends and folktales.
University of Tennessee at Martin, Department of English: Pronunciation of Irish names –
http://www.utm.edu/departments/english/everett/496pron.htm --- Basic pronunciation guide with references.
Consonants and Consonant Combinations
bh - “v” ( or occasionally as a “w”)
c - always a hard “c” as in “came”
ch - always a hard, guttural “k” as in “Bach”
dd - “th”
dh - usually silent
fh - usually silent
g - always a hard “g” as in “game”
gh - usually silent
mh - “v” ( or occasionally as a “w”)
s - “sh”
Vowels and Vowel Combinations
a – “ah” (like the short “o” in “pot”)
á - “aw”
ae - “ I ” (exception in proper names where “ae” is usually pronounced “ay”)
ai - “ I ” (exception in proper names where “ai” is usually pronounced “ay”)
aoi - “ee”
au - “ow”
e - usually an “eh” (like the short “e” in “met”) (However,
a final “e” is almost always sounded as a long “ee” in names and other words (Slaine: “slay-nee”; exceptions: Shane: “Shayn” and Maeve: “Mave”)
é - pronounced “ay”
i - pronounced as “ee” or “ih”, never pronounced as “eye” unless the pronoun “I”
io - “ih”
o - usually pronounced like the short “u” in “put”
ó - pronounced as a long “o” (like “total”) or “oo” (like “food”)
u - normal pronunciation
ứ - pronounced as a long “o” (like “total”) or “oo” (like “food”)
Reference Websites:
Baby Names of Ireland http://www.babynamesofireland.com/pages/naming-traditions.html --- Irish naming traditions and alphabetical lists of popular girls and boys names with pronunciation and description,and some connections to legends and folktales.
University of Tennessee at Martin, Department of English: Pronunciation of Irish names –
http://www.utm.edu/departments/english/everett/496pron.htm --- Basic pronunciation guide with references.
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